SANTA ANA — Hundreds of snakes, most of them dead, were pulled out of a Santa Ana house today and the homeowner was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals, capping an investigation sparked by neighbors reporting a horrific odor.

Police went to the 2900 block of North Fernwood Drive based on complaints from neighbors about what Cpl. Anthony Bertagna called “the smell of death” coming from the house.

Bertagna said snakes were being kept in “deplorable conditions,” and the house was also home to hundreds of rats and mice for feeding the snakes, most of which were believed to be pythons.

“Some (were) in boxes, some in crates and some crawling around,” he said.

The resident, 53-year-old William Fredrick Buchman, was booked on suspicion of cruelty to animals. Bertagna said Buchman is a sixth-grade teacher at a Newport Beach school, believed to be Mariners Elementary.

Animal control officers, dressed in clean suits, were still working to clear the five-bedroom house around midday. Bertagna estimated there were 300- 400 snakes in the house, “probably more.”

According to reports from the scene, neighbors said Buchman had grown increasingly depressed following the recent death of his mother.

It was unclear if the man arrested used the snakes for teaching. Bertagna said it appeared that the reptile population just “grew and grew and got out of control.”

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